Eat the Night
by Master of Shiawase Punch
Summary: One man's choice is seen as a mistake, but causes favorable results in the end that would have never come to pass otherwise. Rated M for mature themes, NOT sexual details. R


Blah. Originally a oneshot, but this is becoming a real story. I came up with a plot in TWO SECONDS. Whoa. Isn't that crazy?

Starts out sappy, but there's dark history to be brought to light. May be a while before I get this one going….I have three others to finish.

This will be rated M for highly emotional situations that involve….sexual themes. But it's not a lemon, and I'm not going into sexual details, so don't worry. And it's not for sexual perversion either. Just playing it safe for all those wittle junior high/high schoolers who decide to be stupid and not take realistic issues into account. You'll see later.

Lacking mental institution funds,

---Ken

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nami shuffled from bathroom mirror to light-switch, her thin slippers sliding across the cold bathroom tile. Her fingers tiredly sifted through pillow-pressed hair, briefly eyeing herself in the mirror before setting the lights to 'OFF'. She smiled; it was only three in the morning, why monitor the hair situation? It was by instinct to double-check, in any reflective surface, that she looked all right.

Finally killing the lights, she left the bathroom, crossed the carpeted floor of the bedroom, and carefully lowered herself into the large bed, her slippers falling from her feet as she lifted them off of the floor. There was something comforting about cold cotton sheets, the prospect of at least another hour's worth of sleep ahead. If that was all she could get, she'd gladly take it. Her nights had been disturbed intermittently for weeks. Her head crushed into the soft pillow, her own scent reaching her nostrils. Pulling the sheet over her legs, she gazed at the small body near her, bathed in moonlight from the open window, his fat stomach rising and falling. Patterned yellow ducks were barely visible on his clothing, static in their stitched world. Nami scooted closer to him, rubbing his belly gently.

"You're so _cute_."

"Aw, thanks, Nami." A longer, larger body shifted along the baby's other side, pulling the sheet higher. It muttered a small 'Ow' and laughed quietly after Nami slapped the closest patch of bare skin.

"I didn't mean you. I didn't know you were awake. Why are you up?"

"I noticed you missing from bed."

"To use the _bathroom_, Sanji. You don't have to fuss over me when I use the _bathroom_, for God's sake." She rolled her eyes lazily.

Sanji smiled. "I'm just paranoid."

"I know." He had good reason to be, and it was comforting for her to know he bothered about minor events such as using the bathroom. He was assertive, observant. No detail was left unnoticed. "I'm just giving you a hard time." She giggled airily as Sanji tried to lace his toes with hers. "Get your big man toes away from mine."

"Away from your big man toes?" Sanji whispered, wide-eyed. He knew she'd find it fake, but he secretly enjoyed annoying her, even when he wasn't serious.

"No! My delicate clean ones!"

"Shh, shh, shh, shh! You'll wake the baby," he laughed quietly. He loved times like these, each of them so carefree. "Mine are clean too."

"So? He's going to wake up soon anyway." Nami continued smoothing out the cloth stretched across the baby's tummy. He shivered, little arms tensing up, then slowly relaxing.

Sanji grinned, admiring the scene. He never believed in dreams coming true, but here was life being perfect for him. His standards for women immediately were raised after meeting Nami; he knew he'd never be the same again after getting to know her, falling in love with her personality, her habits. He knew she was a workload, but who was he to abandon a challenge? And she kept him on his toes, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually. He experienced nothing like it, being with her. Now married, with a child, he enjoyed life more than he ever thought he could.

He often found himself drifting into deep thought, wondering how life could possibly get better, and then snapping out of thought, Nami catching him in a daze.

"Philosophizing again?" She looked beautiful, tired and resting on her side. Her eyes matched the darkness of the room, but moonlight danced off of them easily.

"Admiring you. And," his hand moved over hers, feeling the steady rise and fall of Sanji II's breathing underneath it, "…him."

"Having a baby changed you somehow. I could only imagine you, as I knew you, with a baby, and I thought that was utterly satisfying. But…you're different."

"Hopefully not…in a bad way?" he asked, nervously.

"No! You're…I dunno. Complete? I can't describe it."

"I feel the same way about you, watching you hold him, the way you sway your hips, trying to get him to sleep. Feeding him."

Nami laughed. "You're just hoping for the next sultry night to make another one, that's all." She was sure he blushed.

"Nami, that's not true, and you know it…"

"I know." She groaned as the baby tossed a little, hoping to eat soon. Lifting herself up, she bent forward to pull him closer, eyes widening as her husband's lips pressed against hers. She closed her eyes momentarily, smiling as his large hand stroked her cheek.

"Well, maybe it's a little bit true."

"I knew that too."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's supposed to be short…just a little intro to get ready for this story.

Yey. R&R if you bloody care.


End file.
